Vehicle-dash attachment



(No Model.) 4

M. P. FORD.

VEHICLE DASH ATTACHMENT.

No. 259,378. Patented June 13, 1882.

INI/anion 69.29%@

N. PETERS. Fhulo-Livlwgnpher. washington. D. C.

MARTIN P. FORD, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

VEHICLE-DASH ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,378, dated June 13, 1882.

Application filed January 6, 1882. (No modeLl' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, MARTIN P. FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State ot' Ohio,havein vented a new and useful Im provement in Vehicle-Dash Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

Dashboards of vehicleshave been fastened in position by foot-irons separate and independent of the dash, andadapted by a lateral adjustment in relation to each other to suit vehicle-bodies of different widths, whereby the foot-irons, are attached to and finished in the construction of the vehicle, and the dash attached without requiring special cutting and marring of the dash-leathers to suit such attachment.

I have produced a dash-fastening attachment adapted to suit different widths of vehicle-bodies, the lateral adjustment of' said fastening attachment being made by turning one of the members or parts thereof' in the arc of' a circle, so as to change its position and allow the feet, which are fixed to the vehicle-body, to receive that part of' the attachment carried by the dash, so that the latter can be finished with its part of' the attachment and the members thereof fastened together by turning one part in the arc of a circle to match the dash parts with the body parts, and thus effect the desired connection to bodies of' different widths. By this construction the dash can be made and sold as an article of' commerce and fastened to the foot-irons without regard to the width of the vehicle-body, such construction differing from former devices for the purpose in adaptation for making the lateral adjustment by an eccentric movement or a setting in the arc of a circle of one of the members of the attachment in relation to the other.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a view of a part of the inner side of the dash,showing one of those parts of the attachment which are laterally adjustable upon the dash; Fig. 2, a view in perspective, showing a part of the dash as fastened by itsecceutric part to 011e of the foot-irons; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 shows that member of' the attachment which gives the lateral adj ustment and forms a part of the nished dash. Fig. 5 shows that member of the attach ment called the foot,looking at the fastening end thereof; and Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of' the attachment as applied to a piano-box buggy,7 and Fig. 7 shows by dotted lines the extent of the lateral adjustment ofl the eccentric.

It will be understood that the dash Ais iinished in any approved manner, and in its construction it is provided with the laterally-adjustable members or parts of the attachment, the other member or part being the f'oot fixed to the vehicle-body and finished with it. The metal feet are formed each with a shank part, c, bolted to the side sills of the vehicle-body, and a right-angled part, b, adapted to be secured to the attachment part ofthe dash. In a piano-box buggy the shank part a is bolted to the front, as shown in Fig. 6. In the ex ample shown the dash member or part of the attachment, by which the lateral adjustment is el'ected, consists ot' a stem, c, having its ends screw-threaded and eccentric to each other.

The lower or foot bar, B, of the dash-frame, near each end,is pierced with a screw-threaded hole, into which one end, c', of' the Said screwstem is screwed; and these screw-stems, which project from the dash, constitute the parts by which the dash is secured to the feet, and by which thelateral adjustment is made in the arc of a circle to suit the fixed position ot the feet of the vehicle-body, while giving a proper bearing-surface for thel support and bracing of the dash.

The screw ends c2 of the stems c are inserted into openings in the right-angled ends of the feet, and a nut, d, screwed upon each of the said ends c2 against the feet, serves to clamp the dash firmly to them.

The screw-stems are described as applied, as a fixture to the finished dash; but they` are intended to be turnedin the dash-bar to change the position of' and set the part or screw end c2 nearer to or farther away from the ends ot the dash to suit the Xed positions ot' the feet, and when clamped to thelatter the screw-stems are as firmly bound to the dashframe as though they were riveted to it. ln this turning ofthe stems the foot-corinecting parts c2 describe the arcs of circles of which the axes of the ends of the screws which enter the dash-board frame form the centers, and in thus turning the stems their feet-connecting ends will be set nearer to or farther from the ends of the dash, and thus bring the two members or parts of the attachment in proper relation to be secured to each other, as stated. The screw-stems pie'rce the front dash-leather only; and the dash-foot is formed with a hollow or space, e, to allow it tol receive the eccentric stem part c c2, and thus permit the screw-stems c2 to be set in proper position to be inserted into eyes in the feet.

The adjustable screw-stem, although serving the function ot a bolt, has no head, because it must be inserted alike into the dash and into the foot. 1

-The range-ot' the lateral adjustment is equal to the eccentricity of the screw ends c2, and the attachment of the screw-stems to the feet can be made anywhere within the range of the half-circle, through which the said eccentric ends can be turned7 as shown in Fig. 7.

I have described the screw-stems as xtures to the iinished dash; but they may be screwed into the screw-holes of the dash at the time of attaching the latter to the foot-irons.

The eccentric fastening part of the screwstem is shown as being made in a bend or cranked sha-pe; but it is obvious that the eccentricity may be obtained by a straight screwstern by making the projecting part of larger diameter'than that part which screws into the dash, in which ease the dash-foot need not be recessed7 and the adjustment of the position of the eccentric partis made in the same manner as in the'bent screw-stem. Y

I claim- 1. The combination of a vehicle-dash and eccentrically-adj ustable attachments, whereby the same may be connected to the fixed footirons of vehicle-bodies of different widths.

2. A vehicle-dash or dash-frame having adjustable eccentric screw-stems, for the purpose stated.

3. The combination of a vehicle-dash, independent or separate dash foot-irons, and au eccentric fastening device adapted for lateral adjustment in relation to each ot the fixed footirons, for the purpose stated.

4. rlhe combination substantially hereinbet'ore set forth of a dash, independent dash foot-irons, an eccentrically-adjustable attaching device for each foot-iron, and a fasteningnut for each attaching,` device, for the purpose described.

5. The particular fastening attachment for vehicle-dashes herein described, consisting ot' a bent stem screw-threaded at each end and adapted to be screwed into the dash-frame, the recessed dash foot-iron, and the screw-nut, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof` I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN P. FORD.

Witnesses G. F. RAMsEY, Gao. L. ARTZ. 

